


Sun Storm

by Talavia



Series: Out Came the Sun [2]
Category: Fantastic Four, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Peter Parker and Johnny Storm are Idiots, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:20:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24412705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talavia/pseuds/Talavia
Summary: "Two years, right?"The broken promise Johnny Storm made to Peter Parker seven years ago before departing on an adventure-mission with his super-powered family. Years later, Johnny and his family return to Earth. Five years late, Johnathon Storm does his best to play catch up before the trouble he and his family found in space comes knocking at Earth's door.What a horrible time to only be worried about one thing: Where is Peter Parker?Sequel to Snapped Into Place.
Relationships: Peter Parker/Johnny Storm, Reed Richards/Susan Storm, Spider-Man/Human Torch
Series: Out Came the Sun [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1459882
Comments: 13
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, first, this is the same story-- taking place after Snapped Into Place but from Johnny's perspective. I fully intended to write Peter's side and then life got in the way. The muse I had for Peter's voice just isn't working and instead of delivering sub-quality fanfiction, I figured starting over with my loud, obnoxious Johnny Storm muse would be a better route to go. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this version as much as the previous, if not more, and stick with me til the end.

"Two years, right?" 

Johnny could still hear Peter's voice in the back of his head asking if he was _sure_ that was how long he would be gone. The weeks leading up to his departure had been, for a lack of better phrasing, absolutely perfect. Stopping crimes then shakes at Jerry's and hanging out with his best friend and crush. The Human Torch and Spider-Man, crime-fighting pals. Johnny Storm and Peter Parker, best friends. The titles floated in Johnny's brain as he stared out into the vast emptiness of space. 

Two weeks. It had only been two weeks since he'd left Earth. Left Peter on the Statue of Liberty to watch him fly away. At least, he hoped Peter had watched him fly away.

"Argh," Johnny groaned. Falling back onto his bed, he huffed looking from the window and toward the metal door of his room. He hadn't been able to bring a lot of things. There wasn't time to expand the room on the ship and-- if he were honest, he wasn't sure how he could convince Reed or Sue to let him bring a gaming console when there was " _So much work to be done_ ". 

If only he could think of something else besides the look on Peter's face before he flew away. The sad look like he wouldn't ever see Johnny again. 

"Johnny?" Sue called, knocking before the door slide up with a buzzing sound. 

"Are you going to mope in bed the entire trip?" Sue's arms folded across her chest as her expression matched Johnny's a glare of annoyance as the Storm siblings exhaled slowly.

"I did my homework. I did my chores. I even practiced my powers. I have nothing left to do be mope."

Johnny's expression soured as he glared up at the ceiling. The sigh from Sue signaled her shift from sibling to maternal figure as she sat at the edge of Johnny's bed.

"You miss your friends, don't you?" She smiled as Johnny's face colored. "I know the last year has been hard on you, Johnny. First the trip to Europe with people you barely know. Getting sick. Finding out you have power. Learning to control those powers. Befriending Spider-Man. Getting kidnapped. And now you're stuck in space with your family for _two_ years--, it's a lot."

"You forgot one thing," Johnny smiled, warily as Sue's brow raised. "I screwed up a perfectly good friendship because I couldn't keep my lips to myself. Peter-- he's cool about it but the whole time we were spending time together before I left it was-- weird. I can't explain it."

Sue stared as Johnny continued. Squinting hard at her brother who eventually fell silent.

"You're joking," she whispered, Johnny's confused expression earning a sigh of disbelief. "Why don't you write him a letter, hm? Or, email in this case."

"Email? Will that even get to him back on Earth?" 

"Eventually," Sue laughed. "There'll be a few days delay but he'll get it."

* * *

  
  
  


"Hey Pete," Johnny began staring at his computer screen. The web-camera captured his expression perfectly, his cheeks and ears red, his hair perfectly styled and the _perfect_ shirt for a video letter to his best friend. It _had_ to be perfect. He had an image to maintain.

"Fuck, okay, gotta start over. Stupid pause--" 

Deleting the video, Johnny sighed as he set up a new one and, biting his bottom lip hit record.

"Hey Pete," he grinned. "Bet you'd heard the last of me for a while, huh? Well, I got bored. Really bored. And before you say anything, yes, yes I did finish my homework. For the _week_. If you don't believe me, well, sucks my best friend thinks I'm a liar. I'd say ask Sue but… it'll be a while before you can."

"Anyway," he continued, clearing his throat. "It's been two weeks and four days since we left Earth. Hopefully, things haven't gone to shit since we're gone. Reed says we'll be there in a few months and then the hard part begins. Trying to contain and convert that energy source to stop the elementals from showing up again. I kind of hope Captain Marvel shows up and knocks it out for us but I'm not holding my breath."

"Space is," Johnny frowned. "Space? I dunno. You'd probably be nerding out with Reed and Sue by now if you were here. That or causing trouble with me. Two seventeen-year-olds on one rocket into the middle of no-where? Pfft, that's just asking for trouble Really though-- I kind of wish you had come with. Then I would have someone to talk to who isn't _ancient_."

"Johnny!" Sue's voice called from outside his door. "We need you in the lab. We're going to start testing."

"Coming!" He called back before turning back to his computer and, with a sigh stared into a camera. "Well, Pete, duty calls. I'll see you in a few years. You better not be late!" Johnny smiled, his cheeks warmed before the rest of his body began to heat and, eyes widening cleared his throat as he moved his mouse to end the recording. "Ugh, bye."

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


The ship they had taken into space, courtesy of Stark Industries, S.H.I.E.L.D, and Reed's own design, the Astrea, was massive in size. Compartments meant to last the journey. State of the art technology and above all, enough space to maintain a family of four super-powered people from losing control and ending the trip prematurely. Despite this, Johnny still felt trapped.

"So what's the big news, Reed? I was kind of in the middle of-- _oh_."

Johnny froze as the viewing screen in the cockpit widened to encompass the sight before them. Nearly three weeks and the source of the anomalies on earth displayed itself for the family rocketing toward it. 

A brilliant spectrum of colors vast and immeasurable. Waves of light that pulsated and rippled from a clear source at its center, nearly crystalline in appearance before shifting at the next pulsation. 

"I have no idea what that is," Johnny whispered. "But damn."

"Huh, kind of looks like a flower," he murmured, holding up his phone and taking a picture out of habit. Johnny blinked as Reed and Ben turned around, confusion clear as his face warmed. "Sorry," he murmured. "Souvenir."

"Anyway," Ben gruffed, rubbing a rocky hand against his bare head. "If this thing is messing with our instruments then we gotta be careful, Stretch."

"Wait," Johnny frowned. "We're going in there? So it won't take two years?!" 

He brightened as he looked from Sue to Reed and then Ben before back to his sister who continued to stare and frown. "I don't know, Johnny. Our scans a few months back weren't wrong. The math should have been solid. So that only leaves--"

"It's expanded," Reed whispered half in awe and half in horror. "We should get our suits ready. At this rate, we may very well enter the radiation fields within the next few hours."

"Wait, radiation?" Johnny frowned. "What do you mean--"

"Just get your suit on, Johnny," Sue murmured, guiding him out the back of the cockpit and back toward his room. 

"Hey, Sue," he paused. "Is now a bad time to start singing that one Katy Perry song?"

"Depends," Sue sighed. "Which song?"

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"I really want to clobber his face," Ben groaned into his helmet as Johnny continued to sing into his own comms, now muted as Sue and Reed both floated towards the brilliant lights that filled the otherwise endless void of space. 

"Now, now, Ben, let him get it out of his system. Or he'll be singing it for the next two years just to prove a point," Sue sighed.

Johnny had stopped singing minutes ago, when the groans of his family had ceased and took the time to take in the weightlessness of floating in space. It wasn't like flying. He didn't have to focus. It wasn't like swimming, he didn't have to hold his breath. There was something terrifying and freeing at the loss of control and watched as the brilliant colors swirled and rushed in coiling movements.

"It's beautiful," he whispered. The reds, blues, purples, oranges-- the spectrum of a rainbow that swirled quickly engulfed them all as it rushed about. Johnny could feel an odd warmth from the colors that swirled about him about them before the feeling vanished as quickly as it had warmed him. Like a timid animal testing the waters before approaching. Everything stilled as the lights suddenly retracted, coiling in on itself until it was out of view.

"What?" Johnny called, waving his arms to grab his family's attention only to be left unseen, comms muted. 

"What just happened?" Reed asked. 

"I'm not sure," Sue sighed. "I'll double-check the scans. Johnny can you--"

"He's still muted. Thankfully." Ben chuckled glancing back to see Johnny waving about. "Aw crud. He noticed."

"Sorry, Johnny. Needed some thinking space."

"Yeah, yeah," Johnny muttered. "Those lights felt warm. You guys feel it too?"

"Warm?" Reed frowned. "Maybe we should head back to the ship. If the radiation is seeping through the suits then there is no telling what it might do to us--"

Reed's voice cut out as static filled the channel. 

"Reed?" Johnny called, eyes growing wide, pointing toward the source of the lights as they erupted out in violent brilliance. Radiating waves that rippled through space, twisting the lights of the stars through them as they hurtled outward and back toward the four of them.

"Shit. Shit. Shit!" Ben growled, pulling on his line, heaving in the others as he moved. "Come on! Pull yourselves in! We need to get back on the ship!"

Johnny watched, drawn to the lights in a stupor as they rocketed at him. At his family. 

"I remember," he murmured, voice soft as the memory played back in his head. "What Peter said about the stones that monster used to kill half the universe."

"Johnny! Focus!" Sue snapped, landing on the ship behind Ben before grabbing hold of the tether to reel Johnny and Reed in.

"He said they were warm," Johnny continued softly. "That they called to him even when he was running for his life. Like a whisper…"

"Johnny!" Reed and Sue called in sync as the sensors in the ship sounded.

" _Warning: High levels of radiation approaching. Lockdown imminent."_

"Reed turn that damn thing off!" Ben roared over the computer as Reed landed a moment after, scrambling to free himself before vanishing into the ship.

"Johnny, turn around and pull. We've got to go!" Sue let go of the tether, reaching out with both hands as a sphere of light formed about Johnny moments before his suit caught fire. Quickly it ignited entirely, Johnny a brilliant flame in the blackness of space as he pressed a hand to the sphere, drawn like a sailor to the lights before Sue ripped him away, the sphere rushed into the ship as the doors shut behind it.

"Johnny," Sue panicked as he tumbled to the ground, smoking and prone. "Oh my god, Johnny, talk to me. Are you okay? Why did you flame on?" She asked over the blaring of the alarms, eyes widening as the alarms of the ship went off again. Louder than before as the voice warned of the impending impact.

"You didn't hear it?" Johnny murmured, staring at the door as Susan moved between them, hands outwards as she closed her eyes and focused. 

" _Impact imminent_."

"Reed! How're those shields coming?!" Ben yelled, stomping off and out of sight.

" _Impact in -- Five--"_

"Sue! I need you to buy me more time. Something's wrong. The shielding isn't activating."

" _Four_ \--"

"I'll try, Reed!" Sue yelled back, sweat already forming on her brow as she pushed her power outward to shield the ship.

" _Three_ \--"

"That voice," Johnny murmured, looking down to his own hands as they lit when he clenched them and opened them once more. "It was whispering something."

" _Two_ \--"

"It was saying--"

"Johnny, get another suit on, _now!_ "

" _One_."

"Home."


	2. Chapter 2

It was dangerous entering Earth's atmosphere. 

"Johnny _please_ be careful," Sue's voice rang out in his comm piece. "We haven't been back in--"

"Seven years," Johnny shouted. "I know. That's why I'm going on ahead. I'm _really_ late," he continued as he stared at his old phone. Thankfully, Reed had kept their services despite being away much to Johnny's surprise and dismay that he hadn't gotten a text or call from any of his friends. 

If only spam mail had been that kind.

He licked his lips, not caring as the wind whipped about him. It was late but if anything were true it was that Peter Parker was wide awake. A year of getting to know his hero Spider-Man and he'd figured out his clock easily enough. 

School. Homework. Crimefighting. Homework. Energy drinks. Die a wonderful death in his bed. Repeat. It had explained why Peter Parker was always late. And the thought of Peter only fueled his thumbs to move faster across the device. 

**_Me: I can't believe you're standing me up, Parker!_ ** _5:30 AM_

Johnny bit his lip watching the message icon swirl before posting the text. He'd re-read the text chain and the group text for years. In boredom. In despair and now, in hope that the number hadn't changed at all. 

Tucking the phone into the pocket inside his uniform jacket, Johnny grinned as he saluted into the camera, winked, and jumped out of the ship. 

The new ship was massive. He was sure S.H.I.E.L.D. or some other agency would be along any moment to herd the ship headed for New York-- for the Baxter Building far from the city. But that wasn't his concern. Not yet anyway. He had far more important matters to attend to.

"Flame on." Johnny murmured as he ignited at once, the red and yellow flames wrapping about his new uniform. A dark blue with a four on the right breast. He hadn't had much of a say in the material. In the colors. Or why they'd needed them. But he got to place their family logo-- their team logo. 

New York City had changed. And yet, it hadn't. Not really. The buildings were just as tall, just as marvelous as when he'd left yet the biggest change seemed to be the stares. Or rather, the lack of them. 

"Two please," Johnny grinned at the hot dog cart. Hand up to support his order, he glanced over his shoulder at the murmur before taking the foil-wrapped dogs. "Thanks."

* * *

  
  
  


The Statue of Liberty hadn't changed. Right down to the built-up collection of bird droppings.

Landing on the head of the statue, he smiled at the warm but untouched hotdogs in hand. His control over his powers had made leaps and bounds over the near-decade he had been gone. Looking out over the bay, he smiled as the sun began to rise higher and higher into the sky. It was a sight he'd dreamed of more than once though he'd never been alone in his dreams. 

Johnny had been a boy when he'd left. On the slimmer side, his shoulders had broadened, and, with time and training, he had filled out. His hair remained the same color, spiked for style as he liked, and taking a few steps toward the edge of the statue's hair and onto the spikes of the crown smiled at the sound of the early morning boat traffic. The feel of the wind. The smell of the bay and sight of seagulls flocking in hunt of breakfast. 

Pulling out his phone, he licked his lips as he thumbed a second message, grinning at the reply he got in-between.

**_Me: I know you're late to everything, Parker. But I've been waiting seven years for this._ **

**_That Nerd: What are two things chocolate can't fix?_ **

Johnny paused for a second in thought before managing a response with a chuckle of amusement. The memory brought him back to when things were simple. When his biggest worry was homework and fitting in at a new school post-snap. When his first friend, first _real_ friend and not his suddenly five years older sister and boyfriend and his best friend wanted to make sure he was okay after saving him from a mugger in a skin-tight-- maybe thinking about the past wasn't the best idea.

**_Me: It fixes EVERYTHING._ **

**_Me: But you keep saying student loans and homework. Hurry up, Pete. The hot dogs are getting cold._ **

Five minutes past. 

Ten minutes past.

And just when the urge to text Peter again he heard the familiar and yet, different voice of Peter Parker. No, Spider-Man.

"I'm not late," Spider-Man said. He climbed down from the torch of the statue, standing and, even through the mask of a very impressive suit, Johnny could feel his eyes taking in the changes. He couldn't stop himself from puffing out his chest, nor could he stop the casual flex of his muscles as he grinned wider and wider at the sight of him.

Peter had changed too. His shoulders too were broader and even so, he was slim and light on his feet as he walked forward.

"Those for me?" He asked as Johnny continued to grin. The butterflies in his stomach didn't help, neither did the odd pounding in his chest he forced down as he glanced to the hot dogs in hand before laughing. 

"Take the mask off, Pete," he murmured stepping closer as Spider-Man froze in place. Johnny could almost taste the apprehension but continued regardless. What did he care? It was _Peter_. And if it wasn't. Well, he could still set people on fire.

"I--"

"Take it off, Pete." Johnny repeated, standing before him as Spider-Man froze before he sighed. The mask dissolved in an instant, and he was sure he could hear a voice confirm the order before it revealed his face.

Bruise. Scruffy. And red-eyed, Peter Parker stared back at him, wide-eyed and cautious as Johnny felt his jaw strain at the force of his grin.

"Hi, Pete," he murmured before yanking him into a hug. Johnny could feel Peter tense at the touch before he slowly returned the hug and he could swear he heard him sigh. 

"Welcome home," Peter muttered quietly. A beat of silence filled the space as the hug tightened before he spoke again. "You know you can't grill me about being late ever again, right?"

"Oh?" Johnny grinned, pulling back with a chuckle. He paused at the haunted look in Peter's eyes. A pain that hadn't been there before-- a look that stole his attention and breath all at once. What had happened in the seven years he'd been gone? "Guess I'll wait for you to being eight years late on something then," he managed with another chuckle.

"You're really back," Peter murmured, staring.

The look of Peter's eyes bothered him. The thought stolen as two strong arms, (really, were his muscles made of steel?) lifted him effortlessly into the air.

"You're back! And alive!" The laugh that followed brought about too many memories to count and for the first time in years, sparks danced across his hair as Peter spun them about before setting him down. 

"Really though," he laughed, grinning as the haunted look faded behind a brightness that drew him in as it did when they had been sixteen and stupid. "Are those for me?"

  
  


* * *

"I thought about this a lot," Johnny confessed, crumpling the foiled paper of the dog in a ball before setting it aflame, the cinders of it blowing away in the wind. "Thought about you a lot," he smiled before the realization set in and he continued hurriedly. 

"All of you. My life here," he chuckled, glancing toward Peter who continued to stare straight ahead, mask on save for his mouth where he finished the last of his hotdog with a groan. 

"Miss us that much, huh?" Peter smirked as Johnny sighed in reply. "And how did you get a hotdog at six in the morning? What? You bribe a guy?"

"Something like that," Johnny smirked back. "But I've got to go."

"What?" Peter's head jerked toward Johnny quickly and by the sound of it--

"Back to the Baxter Building," Johnny corrected with a pause. "Unpack. Make sure S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Air Force didn't blow the ship out of the sky. You could come with if you want. I'm sure Sue and Reed would be happy to see you. Ben probably won't want to clobber you."

"Why would Ben want to clobber me?"

"Because--" Johnny paused, brow narrowed as the memories flashed through his head of the near-decade in space and felt himself warm, his cheeks and ears bright red as he cleared his throat. "He's weird." 

"Maybe later-- I, I kind of have to get to work soon," Peter managed a smile. "But after--"

"Send me your address and I'll meet you there with pizza," Johnny chuckled. "Or come over. What do you do anyway? I want the whole story but I'm sure Sue'll ask what you've been up to. College and everything, right?"

"Yeah," Peter cleared his throat. "College. Job. Apartment. The whole thing. I'm a photographer with the Bugle."

"The Bugle," Johnny murmured, squinting as he looked out over the bay before standing. "I'll look up the paper. See some of your pictures then."

Peter froze, eyes widening beneath the mask before chuckling. Nervously, if Johnny didn't know better. "Yeah, sure. I've got a book out so-- I could bring that to save you time."

"A _book_ ," Johnny grinned. "Damn, Parker. You've been busy. Okay. Bring the book and I'll bring dinner and you come to my place? I wanna hear about everything I missed. _Everything_. And bring MJ and Ned too. How are they? Good?"

"Uhh, I'll catch you up at dinner," Peter chuckled again.

"That was ominous but okay. I'll see you later, Pete." 

Johnny exhaled, muttering the same phrase he had as a teen before lifting off the statue and toward the Baxter Building. It was moments later he felt something sticky snare his ankle and, with a force stronger than he imagined possible, yank him backward. Yelping, he found himself back a the statue, Peter hugging him tightly as his flames vanished in the shock.

"Pete?"

"Sorry," he murmured. Peter didn't speak again, And Johnny didn't press for more. Returning the hug, he smiled into it before he was free once again and chuckled softly.

"Tonight. Be there. I'll have the pizza waiting."

"Sounds good."

"It's a date," Johnny winked. Peter's mask moved, his brow shooting up as Johnny flew off, fasting and hotter in case Peter dragged him down again. Though he was certain his friend had gotten whatever emotion he was feeling out of his system. 

* * *

  
  
  


Johnny wasn't sure what would be waiting for him when he returned to the Baxter Building. Hell, he wasn't sure if he could still get in from the roof. Yet, he found his sister and Maria Hill awaiting for him when he did.

"Find him, Johnny?" Sue asked, a cup of coffee in hand as Maria raised a brow at Sue's question.

"Find who?" She questioned as Johnny rubbed the back of his neck, eyes lowered to the ground as she smiled in reply. "Ah, Parker."

"You know?" Johnny sputtered, blinking rapidly as his face warmed. " _Sue!_ "

"Oh please," Maria shook her head. "You're far more obvious than you realize. Parker is too."

"Obvious about what?" Johnny asked as Maria glanced toward Sue who shook her head slowly. 

"Nothing important. Your family was debriefed earlier, Johnny. Now it's your turn. I want a full account of your mission in space. I'm sure you have plenty of time now that you've finished with your errand?"

"Oh," Johnny chuckled. "I guess I do."

* * *

  
  
  


"So, what happened after you and your family got to the source of the elementals? From what I heard, it didn't take a year." Maria folded her arms, brow raised as the device set between her and Johnny continued to blink, indicating it was recording.

"I--, uhm, you'll think I'm crazy." Johnny cringed as Maria smiled. 

"Try me."

"I heard the source-- these lights, talk to me."

"The lights talked to you."

"Well," Johnny winced. "More like, communicated? In my head. I heard them-- like a bunch of different voices all saying the same thing. It was really creepy. And," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "What sort of lead us on this adventure in space."

"Well," Maria continued, gesturing as Johnny frowned searching for a hint of disbelief before he spoke up. 

"They said, _Home_. And don't ask. I've spent the last seven years trying to figure it out."

Maria squinted as Johnny's ears turned pink, he coughed before looking away.

"Okay, so Sue and Reed were trying to figure it out. Look. A lot happened. But, we stopped more elementals from showing up, right? So, mission accomplished."

"Johnny," Maria smiled. "Continue."

"Right," he muttered. "After the lights passed through the ship, our powers went nuts for a few months. I couldn't flame on-- or I couldn't flame off. Sue wasn't visible for weeks. Reed couldn't hold himself together. And Ben," Johnny smirked. "Well, that one was an improvement. Until it wasn't-- and I walked in on him naked."

Maria's brow shot up, Johnny quickly waving his hands in front of him in defense.

"He was human. Normal, average human and it-- it was like that for a while too. Now he can control it. Like a switch. Like the rest of us," Johnny sighed as Maria smirked. "Sue can do some crazy new light-bending stuff-- even more so than before. Reed can… I don't know how to explain it. It's gross. Really gross. And I've gotta even hotter," he grinned, leaning into the palm of his hand as he wiggled his brow at Maria.

"I'm sure you've noticed."

"That you can finally grow facial hair? Yes, Johnny. I've noticed. Congratulations," Maria sighed looking down at a tablet as she nodded. "I think that's enough for today. I've already scheduled more appointments with Sue and Reed. Depending on what they and Ben have to say, I may need to call you in for more interviews."

"Cool," Johnny smiled. "Anything else?"

"No. We're done for now. Oh, and Johnny?" Maria sighed as she stood. "Don't start any trouble."

* * *

  
  
  


"Can you believe Maria told me not to start any trouble?" Johnny whined as he sat across the table from Peter who-- looked even more tired than when he'd seen him hours before. Four large pizza boxes sat between them, Johnny still on his third slice as Peter continued to destroy the third pie between bites. 

"Do you sleep at all?" He asked as Peter blinked, cheeks stuffed with monster-sized bites of pizza. "Do you even breathe?" He watched his friend continue to chew before swallowing, eyes watering as he reached for his drink and chug it before gasping. 

"Almost didn't breathe," he mumbled, licking his lips as he sat back. "Can you blame her, Torchie? You've been back, what? Twelve hours now? Social media is all--"

"Ablaze?" Johnny nodded, smug as he shot a wink toward Peter who glared back at him with a groan. 

"No."

"A flame?"

"Please."

"Lit?"

"Let me enjoy having you back at least a full day before you whip out the puns." Peter groaned louder as Johnny laughed. His head fell back as the laugh built, filling the room and for a moment, Johnny could feel Peter's eyes on him.

"Man," Peter began. "I forgot what your laugh was like."

"What? Amazing?" Johnny grinned, leaning into the palm of his hand.

" _Loud_ ," Peter laughed. He laughed harder at the sight of Johnny's glare before snapping to the left to catch a rogue sausage that Johnny had flung his way-- only to yelp and begin fanning his mouth as Johnny's laugh returned.

"You heated it before you threw it!?" Peter whined, eyes watering as he glared at his friend in disbelief.

"Just testing your reflexes, Pete. And the Peter Tingle," Johnny snickered. "Movie?"

"Spider-Sense!" Peter called after Johnny, eyeing the last pizza before scooping the box up and following after. "So, speaking of social media… my boss wants me to get a picture of you guys for the paper-- would you mind--"

"Oh shit," Johnny frowned. "I forgot to look your work up." He grinned as Peter paused, eyes widening before scrambling toward him as he plopped onto the couch, phone in hand.

"That's okay!" He began as Johnny held the phone out of reach with a growing grin. "Dude. Really. You don't need to--"

"Did you just call me dude? Now I know something's up," he grinned. Peter lifted him with ease, Johnny gasping as he did so, eyes widening wider and wider before looking down at his friend who shook him in hopes of getting the phone to drop.

"I am _not_ a coconut tree! Put me down!" 

"Surrender the phone!" 

"Never!" 

An hour later found Johnny asleep on the couch. Space wasn't a timezone but a long day of trying to acclimate back to Earth time was exhausting-- and Peter wrestling him for his phone, while fun, didn't help the matter. He could vaguely feel Peter move on the other side of the couch, the sound of some movie on the screen playing in the background. 

And for the first time in seven years, Johnny wasn't worried about his friend back on Earth. About the Avenger he'd left behind to fight off monsters and villains alone-- his best friend, Peter Parker. 

His hero, Spider-Man.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, it's been a while. Thank you for sticking around for the rest of this story!
> 
> COVID-19 has really put the world on tilt and put this story on the back-burner. Thankfully, things have finally begun to settle and it's time to finish this story! I hope you enjoy the rest of Johnny and Peter's journey through this crazy tale as much as I have writing out the rest of these chapters.

" _ Johnny _ ." 

The voice was familiar and new all the same. A stranger he'd heard in the crowd-- or was it in school? He couldn't remember where or when but the sound of his name on repeat drew him from sleep-- then it changed. 

" _ Johnny! _ " Sue yelled through the door. "Breakfast!"

Sighing he turned onto his back-- or tried to. Something solid stopped him and frowning, cracked an eye open. He couldn't remember moving to his room. Nor did he remember moving into his bed. Or the soft breath--  _ Oh _ .

Turning he realized the arm around his middle. Confused more than afraid, he glanced back only to find a familiar head of messy brown hair half buried beneath his pillow and the one Peter Parker was--

_ Oof _ .

With a low groan, Johnny winced as the world shifted. The ceiling of the living room, the faint murmur of something else on Netflix and the soft snoring of Peter Parker slouched on one side of the couch. Wincing further, he sat up slowly, smacking his lips as he turned to take in the room. 

The sun had set some time ago. 

Beyond the change in time, nothing else seemed to have moved. He took the chance to look at Peter.  _ Really _ look at Peter. He'd filled out over their time apart. Still just as annoying handsome with his jaw, the wild hair and the shockingly innocent face despite the wicked wit that lay underneath it. The sleepless nights were obvious. Dark circles under Peter's eyes as he shifted on the couch, not really moving so much as curling up and stilling once more. 

"Stop staring," Peter whined. "It's weird."

"I just," Johnny murmured, staring as his ears warmed. "Can't believe it. You got even weirder looking since I left. Didn't think it was possible."

"Never were a good liar, Sparky," Peter smiled. His eyes were bloodshot, and despite the several hours of sleep he looked as if he needed another four days of it. "What're we watching? Why… are you on the floor?"

Johnny chuckled as he stood. "Dunno, woke up and it was something else-- looks like some kind of series? About the Queen? Huh, I really have missed a lot."

"Man, I'm starving."

"Dude," Johnny groaned. "You just ate like two pizzas."

"What? I'm a growing Spider-Man."

"Oh," Johnny cringed. "That was bad. It's a good thing I've come back just in time to save your pun game."

"I don't need help with that, " Peter laughed. The sound gave Johnny pause as he watched his best friend. The way Peter stretched and yawned, scratching at his stomach before standing and tilting his head at Johnny who shook himself from a daze. "You okay, Torchy?"

"I'm fine. Uh, right, food. I could go for a bite. Anyplace new-- er, new to me, you'd recommend?"

"Depends," Peter grinned. "You paying?"

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"Somehow," Johnny began, eyeing the container of food in his lap. "I expected hodogs."

Peter snorted as his legs swung from their usual place. Four in the morning wasn't the best time for hot dogs but there were other choices. Like-- 

"... Pitas? You-- you got Greek hotdogs.  _ Peter _ ."

"What?" Peter managed around a mouthful. "They're good!"

Groaning at his friend's choice in food, Johnny chuckled as he leaned back, eyeing the black waters of the bay in the early morning. The sun was just beginning to crest over the horizon, changing the colors of the sky in a spectrum that stole his breath. It was different than space.

"What was it like?" Peter asked as the silence settled. His six crumpled foil wrappers in the bag between them. "Space, I mean--"

"I figured you meant space, Pete," Johnny smiled. "It was cold."

"Cold?"

"Cold," he sighed. "And beautiful. But I kind of-- I missed Earth.  _ Really _ missed Earth. But it was sort of nice. Being able to spend time with my family-- if you tell them that, I'll sear your eyebrows off," Johnny half scowled. 

"Secrets safe with me, Firefly."

"I expected the cold. I didn't-- y'know, expect the uhh… lack of communication."

Silence followed the confession. Johnny exhaled slowly as he glanced toward Peter and found his friend staring at him in confusion. 

"You didn't get any of them?" Johnny frowned as Peter shook his head slowly. " _ None _ of them?"

"Get what, Johnny? It's been silence for the last eight years. I thought you were dead-- so when you sent that text I kind of freaked, man."

"Ah," Johnny nodded. He could feel heat radiate off of him. His ears and cheeks warmed as the rest of him did-- for the first time in a very long time. "Well, I've been… sending you messages. On and off-- over the last eight years. Should have gone to your email. At least, that's what I hoped. The S.H.I.E.L.D. database should have relayed them." 

"S.H.I.E.L.D. huh?" Peter hummed as he held up the palm of his hand. A holosphere with numbers and moving symbols appeared seconds later. "Friday? Can you get me access to those messages Johnny was talking about--"

"What the hell is  _ that _ ?!"

"One moment, Peter."

"Oh," Peter chuckled. "Uhm, Friday, say hello to Johnny. Johnny? This is what… Mr. Stark left me. The Suit. The Glasses. This system--"

"Wait, wait, the glasses? You have glasses now?"

"I-- well, I had glasses when we met. I just, didn't use them. I uhh, wasn't ready."

"Alright, so what do these glasses do?"

Peter cringed as he glanced toward the sphere. It moved and turned, lines of code swirling as he looked back to Johnny.

"Gives me access to Mr. Stark's… erm, to a lot of stuff. A satellite and a laser--"

"You  _ could have shot those things with a laser _ \-- Peter Parker, you're an asshole." Johnny groaned. "You know how many times we almost died to those elemental monsters?"

"What happened with that, anyway?"

"I--"

" _ I have your messages Peter. Shall I begin playing them?" _

"Oh god--" Johnny panicked. "Don't--"

" _ Hey Pete, _ " the message began. A sixteen year old Johnny grinning into the camera. Peter grinned back, shoulders relaxing before Johnny shoved him and disrupted the image with a heated hand.

"No, no, no-- no way. Don't. Please don't. God. Just-- punch me first?" 

Peter laughed as the image vanished, playing keep away as Johnny's hand burst into flames to keep the image from reforming. 

"What are you doing, Firefly? You know I can just suit-up and play it in my mask, right?" 

"Not if I melt your suit, Peter." Johnny's tone dropped as he glared, sparks dancing off of his golden hair as Peter's grin grew. 

" _ Hey Pete, _ " Peter taunted as Johnny growled and lunged. The two danced about the top of the Statue of Liberty. Johnny lunging-- then tossing flames at Peter who laughed and flipped out of the way with ease. An hour passed before Johnny slumped onto the crown still glaring at Peter.

"Don't-- you," he panted. "Dare."

"I've been listening to them this whole time, Torchy," Peter snickered as he hung upside over Johnny. Head cocked, the mask vanished as Peter stared down at his friend who turned bright red. 

"You've uhh, been busy. Come on," he smiled, dropping down. Holding out his hand he grinned, earning a stronger glare from Johnny. "Let me show you what I've been doing since you've been gone."

"Whatever you say, Kelly Clarkson."

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"Wow." Johnny whispered as Peter turned on the light. The dark room wasn't anything surprising-- not for a photographer. But this was Peter-- who had all the technology of the world in the palm of his hand. 

"Ever heard of a digital camera?" Johnny teased as Peter turned with a look of disbelief. 

"There are  _ digital  _ cameras?!" Peter chuckled, head shaking as he shut the door and flipped the light. "There's something smoother about these pictures. Plus, I like doing things the old fashioned way-- it's nice. No one can hack and delete them either."

Johnny chuckled until the last bit and eyed his friend who shrugged.

"Is this about Spider-Man? Still taking selfies?"

"They aren't--"

"They are, Pete. They really, really, really are-- I can't believe you make a living like that. I thought-- didn't you major in like, science or something? I… wow, I didn't even ask about school for you, did I?"

Peter smiled as he sunk pages into a small tub of water and shook his head. 

"No, you didn't ask. But look at these."

The photos were  _ good _ . A level of action caught in timing if Johnny didn't know better were staged. But the anger on the face of the strange man in the Rhino costume was too real to be staged. And another with a man on some kind of gilder. And another-- and another-- and another until Johnny could only stare at the photos that hung long the lines in the room. 

His chest ached in an odd way-- he could see Spider-Man fighting. Some of the photos seemed desperate and while he could see Peter won-- he was there next to him, looked toward his friend slowly. 

The guarded look he got in return said more than he'd managed to get out of his best friend in the two days he'd been back. 

"Pete…"

"I'm okay." 

The words stung as he huffed and without thinking wrapped an arm around his old friend's shoulders. Pulling him closer-- something he knew Peter let him do. The jerk was still as solid as he had been eight years prior. 

"You've been doing this alone? All this time? Pete-- that's crazy."

Peter frowned but made no move to free himself. One arm about Johnny's middle as he turned him-- with ease, into a hug. Johnny hadn't been expecting a hug but melted into it as Peter tightened it. 

"I'm fine, Johnny."

Johnny said nothing. He simply hugged his friend and felt himself warm-- and Peter relax against the touch as he hugged him tightly. 

"You're warm."

"I'm hot?"

"Johnny--"

"What?" Johnny grinned against Peter's shoulder. "You just said I'm hot. Let me have this."

"I said--," Peter laughed into a sigh. "I missed you, Firefly."

"I missed you too--"

"I know. I listened to the first few messages you sent, remember?"

Groaning, Johnny pushed back, smacking Peter's chest-- to find it annoyingly solid, even more so than before as he groaned again, louder in annoyance.

"You had to ruin the moment, Pete."

Laughing, Peter nudged him. "They weren't that bad, Johnny. But I can see why you would be embarrassed. Now I have eight years of video letters to catch up on."

"I'm leaving--," Johnny began in a pout. He froze when Peter did. The odd rigidity in his frame came upon him so quickly that worry sunk into him like an anchor as he shook his head.

"I'm going back to Baxter, Pete. I'm not leaving Earth."

"You sure? The last time you told me you were leaving a creepy magic wielding stalker yanked you half way across the world trying to harvest you super powers."

"No," Johnny grinned. "That happened after I kissed you." Pausing at the realization what the clarification lead to paused as Peter grinned back at him. 

"I hate you," Johnny huffed as Peter laughed again. Louder. 

"I'm going  _ home _ ."

It took another twenty minutes to escape the Parker residence, simply because he had to throw old taunts at Peter to see if they would work. He was met with teasing that came from his messages to Peter from years ago and retreated before the webslinger could do more harm to his pride with knowing grins and soft looks that made him uncomfortably warm at the center. 

  
  


* * *

_ "Hey Pete, it's been awhile, right? Alright, so it's only been a week. But it feels like awhile. Space doesn't have the same vibes-- the same time frame Earth does. There's no real dawn-- no dusk. It's weird. And cold. And  _ **_boring_ ** _." _

Johnny looked away from the camera, ears red as sparks danced through his hair. He stared at the keys on the computer before perking up a moment later.

" _ Sue says I'll be done with school in a few months though. That the homework she and Reed are giving me will have me caught up in no time and, well, it'll be easy to finish out high school on the ship since I have… nothing else to do. Except, you know, save the world. And hand them things." _

Johnny leaned forward, chin in the palm of his hand as he continued.

" _ Ben wants to teach me self defense-- so I don't have to rely on my powers, blah, blah blah-- but I can set people on fire? Why would I need self defense, right? I can totally throw… a punch. I can hear you laughing, Pete, even from space. You're a dick." _

Sighing happily into the camera, he stared before clearing his throat and leaning back glanced off camera. The sound of Sue calling his name barely picking up on the mic.

" _ I've gotta go. Apparently big sister needs her assistant. Really, I think she's worse than big brother at times."  _ Winking into the camera, Johnny leaned forward, pausing as he stared downward, face growing red. 

" _ Bye, Pete." _


End file.
